Bob Warren features at East of Edith Aug 20

You should know that I am without credentials of any kind. I never graduated from anything, never received a diploma or certificate of completion from any sort of institution of either higher or lower learning. When I was thirteen, on the first day of the fall semester, I stole all of my school records, and so, as far as the school system was concerned, I ceased to exist. I spent that school year on my own, up to the middle of April, at the Detroit Institute of Arts looking at the art. At fifteen, I quit school. At seventeen, I took part in my first civil rights march. At twenty-one, I was elected Unit Steward for the Operating Engineers. At the age of forty-two, in Houston, I went to work at a poverty church. My main job was to beg for food for 125 to 150 families a week. Between 1992 and 2001, I was Assistant Director for the Albuquerque Storehouse. I then became the Resource Director for Habitat for Humanity in Valencia County. I discovered Carl Sandburg 57 years ago and have written poetry on and off ever since. Although never ordained, I’ve conducted services in Presbyterian and Lutheran churches, and Eucharistic Services in Methodist and Episcopal churches. I am father and step-father to 5, grandfather to 14, and great-grandfather to 10. Had a poem published in the Fixed and Free Anthology.

Aside from being a thoughtful and intent writer, capable of handling both the harrowing and humor, “life and death,” Bob Warren also is a photographer. The above is part of one gorgeous print I was able to fit on the scanner… hope to hang some of his prints for his reading as they stun.

And Bob was a student of Bill Nevins–and as we learned at the feature for Bill Nevins, Bob was kind of student who listened and at times disagreed and argued with an assignment–like a sestina–so thoroughly and with such good craft, we all benefit for years.

Catch Bob Warren at East of Edith on Monday August 20th at 7 pm at the Projects 3614 High Street NE. (North of Candelaria, just East of Edith, on High Street, through the open garage doors.) Event includes our regular open mic, this time with host Jennifer Krohn.

Also, we’ll be opening the space early to allow for an hour of quiet writing/reading time. See hankering post.

So sorry I am slow responding to this. I missed the comment somehow. SO yes, definitely, high school students are welcome. Best bet is the Monday Open Mic, 7 pm at the Projects, a warehouse theater at 3614 high Street NE, through the open garage doors. That’s weekly. Join us whenever you like… listen and/or read your own poetry!